Q: How do you feel about today's internet and social media, given your vision of the outernet in TAS?

A: I am amused and flattered to see how closely it mirrors some of the concepts in TAS, notably, the concept that people can be constantly connected to a global network that th
ey can access for communication or information at will. While I used brainware as opposed to computer terminals, it looks like we are now heading in that direction as well, wit
h experiments in using brainwaves to control computers, developed for use by the disabled. Who knows, someday we may have technology that serves us like the TAS brainware does
! I did not foresee the ubiquitousness of social networking, or its scope, though networked gaming is in This Virtual Night, and I am going to have to give serious considerati
on in my next book in the series as to whether I will mention it, make it a prominent feature, or just focus on other plot elements.

*Q: The Guerans, despite their supposed acceptance of all kaja, do still seem to be acting a lot on prejudices and biases, e.g. when dealing with iru. Is this a deliberate ref
lection of Gueran society too being flawed?*

A: First, I don't see this as a statement about Guerans in general with the Iru. Every individual has their likes and dislikes. Extroverts will always be a little frustrated d
ealing with introverts. Iru don't always understand subtle social cues, which means that half the social toolkit of the Nanatana becomes useless. Someone may resent the time i
t takes to communicate with a kaja that has difficulty focusing on the conversation. I would not call that a "prejudice" or certainly not a "bias." You can design a society whe
re all types are accepted, but that does not mean they will all be seamlessly compatible or like dealing with each other. One might even argue that the core of Gueran philosoph
y is identification of personal likes and dislikes as private feelings that should not impact social interaction. Various customs such as the order of precedence are meant to a
id with this, in which kaja with less social flexibility take precedence over those who are more adaptable. As an Iru, ffor example, Masada does not like to shake hands. If he refrains from doing so, it is expected this hesitancy will "outrank" any desire of others to make physical contact. Everyone tries to accommodate everyone else, but when there is conflict, sometimes guidelines are required.

There are many scenes where Guerans are seen making small gestures to accommodate the limitations of other kaja, notably when the Guildmistress arranged the color and positioning of her seating to make her guests comfortable.

Q: We mostly see the Gueran elite. What would the life of an average Gueran look like?

A: I don't think a college professor is "elite", save that this one is well known. This Virtual Night shows a Gueran teen with a kaja that is socially disruptive being given the choice between tempering that tendency or finding a profession where it is an asset rather than a problem. Gueran philosophy says that every human being has unique strengths, and identifying an occupation where one will fit in and be able to make the most of his or her assets would be a focus of education, perhaps with counselors whose job it is to aid in that process.
The goal would be for people to find an environment where they do not have to expend effort to adapt to the needs of others, but fit in naturally.*

Q: Assuming that the kaja/variants are reflections of neurodivergence/disabilty, would you still write them the same today (e.g. iru can't love, which felt more like a stereotype)?

A: First, let me point out that no one is ever described as autistic. The iru may be that, or may be some condition similar to that, but with other qualities as well. You don't know. That was deliberate. There can be no "stereotype' for something i made up :smile:

None of the neurodiverse elements in the book are given common "Earth names." You may identify them, but you cannot know if they are exactly the same as what you are naming, or just in the same general category.

Regarding autism, I did exhaustive research into the condition, and my comments on that were based upon information from and about autistic people who maintained loving relationships with spouses and children. The emotions they described were meaningful and close but not exactly the same as the emotions neurotypicals describe. That is what I went with. Given how many letters I have gotten from autistic people that said they appreciated such details, I'm gonna say it is clearly correct for some people.

I do not write characters to represent an entire demographic. Readers tend to assume characters are meant that way, but they are not. There is a stereotypical hacker of the "
nerd" variety in TAS, but that is not a statement that hackers are all like that. That one was., but Masada was the polar opposite, and one of the Guildmistresses had a staff of hackers of all different types. The fact that one character may reflect a quality found in a real-world stereotype is not a statement that the entire demographic is the same way.

Q: How much of the books dealing with sex, sexuality, gender would you write differently today?

A: Nothing, really. I am heterosexual, and that is the kind of sexual energy I understand, so I write heterosexual characters. I try to at least make passing mention of different varieties to make it clear that they exist and are accepted. There is one scene in This Virtual Night where Ru points out to her male companion that a guy is trying to flirt with him, and he answers that that isn't his kind of thing. That the guy is in the bar and his flirting is not treated as anything abnormal is a subtle statement that no one has any issue with that kind of presence or behavior.

In fact my editor worked with me on that scene to make sure that Micah's response did into imply there was anything wrong with gay interest...just not his thing.

Q: The protagonist (Jamisia and all her alters) feel unusually flawed for a protagonist and Jamisia herself seems to be more "rolling with the developments" instead of taking action herself. Is she deliberately not a common heroine/strong protagonist?

I am not seeing this at all, I'm sorry. I can't even see where you get this from. It think she is a very strong character.

Jamisia starts out as a young girl controlled by and manipulated by a cold and calculating corporation. She was subjected to abusive scientific experiments that have left her mentally crippled in ways she does not even understand. When forced to flee, she finds herself in an unknown and unfamiliar world where she has no knowledge, no emotional anchor, no experience, no contacts, no resources, and any attempt to gain such runs the risk of bringing hunters down on her head for God knows what purpose. In that setting she must struggle not only to survive, but to figure out what her corporation has done to her brain and come to terms with it in a way that will allow her to thrive. Her story is her evolution from a helpless young girl struggling to adapt to mental and emotional trauma to one who confronts her neurodiverse condition head on and adapts to it. In the end she must confront the most damaged portion of her psyche and accept that it is as much a part of her as the ones that are more socialized, and both embrace and control it in order to survive.

Perhaps whoever sees this in the book is looking only at the primary identity, and forgetting that all her alters are just as much "Jamisia" as she is. Her brain has compartmentalized various psychological elements so that they are only visible when certain alters are active, but they are not separate people. Their existence does mean that various aspects of her personality are not expressed by the primary identity, but that doesn't mean they are not part of "her." She has alters who are fiercely protective, confident, aggressive, insightful, and even sexually manipulative. Those are not different characters, but facets of a single person. I think you would be hard pressed to call some of them "weak."*

Q: As for the "would you write it differently today"-questions, people are aware of This Virtual Night but have mostly not read it yet.

Well, shit, I failed to anticipate the role of AI and am going to have to figure out how to incorporate that or find a good justification for not talking about it.

I am fortunate in that the books in this series take place on different worlds/stations and at different times. This Virtual Night takes place 20 years after TAS, when the events in the first book are history and the technological consequences have had time to evolve into some nasty stuff. The third book, which I am working on, takes place after a character who fled the Outworlds in book 2 returns 35 earth-years later. Tech has advanced, relationships changed, and I thus have a lot of freedom to alter things without need for retconning. Thus each book can have its own focus.

TVN deals with the paranoia and prejudice of the Terran corporations who have moved into the Outworlds, an important background element in the first book, and part takes place in a secret world controlled by interstellar pirates and black marketeers. In world dominated by the need to incorporate "alien" versions of humanity, many Terrans still don't—and don't want to—accept them as equals. We get a glimpse of the deadly corporate wars hinted at in Book One. One of the main characters is a game designer, and just as Masada allowed me to explore what special strengths an autist might offer, TVN allowed me to look at the kinds of skills and mental strengths that would cause someone to excel in that area--to go beyond "nerd who loves fantasy worlds and games for a living" and explore the unique intellectual challenges of such a profession, and how they would impact one's perspective. I have had numerous games write me that they found the depiction refreshing and validating.

In hindsight, I would have included more story about Gueran issues, as that seems to be the main interest of my readers, and will emphasize that more in the third book, This Variant Seed.

Q (quite long, asked by a person who themselves has a dissociative identity disorder):
Multiple Personality / Dissociative Identity Disorder is heavily featured in This Alien Shore. As you wrote it, you were aware there’d be a wide variety of readers.
For readers who struggle with DID, some understand the nature of what they’re going through, others don’t. Some have yet to begin their healing journey, while others are deep into the overwhelming process of navigating it. Some are isolated, while others openly communicate & connect with those around them: possibly even sharing this novel. And there are many caring people, desperate to be present with, and for, those they love. Even when they don’t know how. With this in mind, what do you most want to communicate about DID to the wide range of people who might one day pick up This Alien Shore? Some specific prompts:
- What general information on DID did you want to give people perspective on: both textbook facts, and raw human experience.
When supporting someone, it's always important to act compassionately for both the person being supported, and also one's self. When DID specifically is involved, what are some things that are particularly important to keep in mind, to be able to effectively act on that compassion, while also maintaining it.
Were there any messages that was especially important for you to share with someone belonging to any of the groups named above, or similar? (I.e. someone who has only just discovered their other parts.)
If you could choose a message, so that everyone suffering through DID would be guaranteed to hear it at least once. What message would you choose? If it's present in your novel, how did you go about incorporating it?
- As far as I can tell (part way through), your writing on the topic of DID is both accurate and realistic. Even by today's standards, it feels way ahead of our time. For better or for worse, DID's recent viral explosion on Tiktok has dramatically changed public perception & understanding. Do you have any strong thoughts on the social media fad & its effects?
If you had been writing This Alien Shore at present day is there anything that you’d change?”

I don't usually write books to send messages. There is one overarching message in the serious, that conditions we consider disabilities may have hidden strengths unique to their condition, and that acceptance makes it easier for these to be expressed.

On DID< which was MPD (Multiple Personality Disorder when I was writing this.)

When I wrote this book, there was almost no research available on the condition. It had not even been accepted as a genuine condition by many in the field of psychiatry, but rather a delusion of one personality. There was great debate about whether such a thing even existed. About the only exposure your average person had was the book Sybil, from 1973. It was a very big deal, passed around my college in 74 as a "you must read it". As I am sure you know, it tells the story of a woman who discovers she is a multiple, and traces it back to being brutally abused as a child. Of course now we know the book was actually a scam and the events did not occur, but back then, that was the only exposure most people had to the concept.

Following that model, MPD was believed to be the result of severe abuse, probably sexual in nature, and was assumed to take the form Sybil experienced, with one central personality about which alters clustered, with the primary being unaware of anything that happened while others were in control. As far as most sources were concerned, that was the only variety there was. Then came the 80s and the big scare about Satanic cults kidnapping and abusing children. So that got thrown into the mix as a primary cause of MPD. You COULD have MPD without Satanic influence, resources would tell you, but it was more common with it. (I am using "Satanic" to refer to the activity of those cults, not as a religious value judgment).

The problem with all that was that I had known someone with MPD who had not been sexually abused, and who had the type of manifestation that Jamisia winds up with. So I knew it existed. Now and then there were tantalizing hints that not ALL cases traced back to sexual abuse, and one reference to the fact that hypnosis could trigger MPD without any abuse at all, but finding more information on either of those was a seemingly impossible task. We had no internet then, no CHATGPT to go look things up for us. If you couldn't find the right book, you could not access the information.

Then a popular book called When Rabbit Howls was written by a woman who had the kind of cooperative group awareness that Jamisia has, in which she was aware of the presence of alters, communicated with them, and did not lose awareness when they were in control. They also showed no interest in integration, being fond of their semi-independent existence, so that was not even a goal. If memory serves, she referred to them as "the crew." I didn't trust this book alone for info on the subject, as it had a very pop-culture flavor and I was not sure how much information was accurate vs tweaked for book sales, but it certainly confirmed that such a pattern existed.

I also found one reference to a study in which a subject's alters had different histamine responses, ie, one was allergic to a substance and another was not. That was mindblowing to me, and opened up a world of possibilities for an author.

So when I started writing the book I had very little more than that. We all have different personalities, of course—you do not behave the same way with your parents as with your boss or lover—but what made that mechanism involuntary and often hidden, so that the personalities were totally compartmentalized, actually separate, and in some cases not even sharing memories? If it was not sexual abuse in all cases, what was it? The common thread, to my reading, seemed to be a long term traumatic experience from which a child could not escape. That is why abuse was such a common cause; if the abuser acted repeatedly, setting up a pattern of abuse that persisted for a long time, from which the child had no escape, then the brain might compartmentalize as a defense mechanism. Maybe an alter from a younger age would safeguard the primary's innocence, tucked away where harm could not reach it. Maybe one would be protective, or aggressive, embodying the response the primary wished for but did not feel the courage to express. And maybe some were offshoots of that process of creation whose appearance could not be neatly explained, just another person to help bear some of the pain. If the primary could not remember anything from when alters were in control, then an alter who took over at a bad moment was saving the primary from that experience. Hence the example of Sybil (which I hate to use because of its eventual unmasking as a hoax, but some details were right), where the worse moments of her abuse were lost to her. Others had claimed those memories and were not sharing them.

Alters thus may exist to protect the primary, or to express some emotion the primary can't. (Not necessarily a positive emotion, but one which needs outlet.) The brain thus creates them as a coping mechanism, albeit a jury-rigged and not always successful one.

Marc: So I needed something other than sexual abuse for Jamisia, as that was not her story. About that time I came across a story of a child who had been trapped beneath rubble for nearly two weeks. Surviving on rainwater dripping down through the rubble, she went undiscovered by rescuers, and could hear them moving farther and farther away as her weakening cries failed to reach them.

Indescribable horror. Inescapable fear. The sense of being trapped, unable to change one's circumstances and barely able to endure them. That was the formula I needed.

Then I brought in the hypnosis reference I had read earlier, of how it could be used to trigger compartmentalism, and added that into the mix. The seeds of the condition had been sown by her trauma and were now nurtured through hypnosis and conditioning to become what they needed—a paranoid schizophrenic mind capable of interstellar flight linked to a rational mind that could learn to serve its manipulators. Of course there is some biological element involved in schizophrenia, not just psychological, but the case study with different histamine reactions suggested that was well within the scope of MPD.

From that mix came Jamisia.

From that science came recognition of DID, and with that, many more people who realized that they suffered from such a condition. Now you can find many more cases of group cooperation, which in the end you could argue are barely division at all, since all the qualities that had once been inaccessible to the primary became accessible again, albeit by a new mechanism.

Those are my thoughts on the subject, that led to Jamisia's creation.

What is the "message?" DID is not random. It appears for a reason. Figuring out what the reason is - why the brain required such an extreme coping mechanism in the first place--seems central to understanding it and dealing with it. Mind you I am not a scientist, but to a well-read layman that seems to be a logical deduction.

Otherland -- see you in the future